Thoughts and Emotions

Today is one of those days where I question..what in the world am I doing...lol!! I just want to cry and don't have a clear answer to why if you would ask me.

Adoption is hard. Many people think that the process is over because EJ is home. That is one of the biggest misconceptions of adoption. The process has now turned into a journey which is lifelong one! The real work started when we took him into our arms to never return him to his orphanage. Trust me, I'm not complaining but I think that people should be educated about the good and the hard of adoptions. We as adoptive families need not paint the picture that everything is all roses and ice cream. I'm not saying to expose your life or tell your child's story to the world, just be true!!

Some days are hard or maybe often frustrating. You feel like you take one step forward and two steps back in areas you are working on in this journey. Reality is that you have a stranger in your home who you are trying to learn and they are trying to learn you. Not only do they have to learn each of their new family members but our home, our culture, our procedures, our country.....the list goes on and on! So some days you will just feel like....what in the world is going on.

We don't retreat and run away....we push in harder to our love ones with time, communication and love. We seek encouragement and advice from Godly counsel. Everyone's story is different; every child's actions and reaction are different but people who have walked this road before you can be very valuable in helping you trod along this journey. Its not that one HAS to take the opinions of others but it would be beneficial to see what work and didn't work for others whose children had similar behaviors, hurts, or pasts.

Friends to adoptive families be a SUPPORT....not a naysayer!! We adoptive families aren't looking for pity however we don't need naysayers in our ears when we tell you the "truth" to the question "How's it going?"!!!

EJ is doing well...the girls are doing well. These last 2 weeks without our prompting they have really been intentional about including each other or showing concern about their siblings. He's opening up more to us which is bittersweet but it's apart of our journey. We love, press forward and make choices based on what we learn to help him heal and get adjusted to his forever family!! School is going well for him...he has his struggles but are facing them positively and eager to learn and catch up to his peers.

Ok that's enough for now...but I will leave you to ponder this verse....

"I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. But the race is one by those who endure to the END....those who take each obstacle one mountain at a time...by those who fall but stand back up, dust themselves. Off and keep running (Ecclesiastes 9:11 Jamallia's version with the NLT version).

Has it really been a month....

So I will start out by saying...."I'm sorry; its been way too long since I posted anything!" The truth is that the end of our adoption process was TOUGH..it was hard. What I was feeling couldn't be put into words that I wanted to share on an open blog. Just say that from May to August, we were mostly laying at the feet of Jesus. I will say that our faith went to a level that we never even anticipated!! We were called to the deep (didn't know that is what God was doing) and we step out in total faith and obedience to God into one of the deepest parts of the faith OCEAN.

So let's start from there....On August 9th, Tyvon and I left for Ghana, Africa not knowing how long we would be gone and if we would return with EJ. All we knew was that we were supposed to GO right then and there! And MY GOD, OUR GOD, showed up and showed up big. He began to show himself from the minute we stepped on to Ghana soil. By Monday we had the document we needed to move to the last step and on Tuesday we knew for sure that Emmanuel Joshua was coming home with us that very same week. God continued to move and we left for America on Friday Augus 16th. We left Ghana that evening and was back in the DC area on Saturday the 17th.

 Daddy and son napping at GMI

Emmanuel's 1st airplane ride....God gave us FIRST CLASS accommodations!!

Now fast forward to a month later! Things are going well..I didn't say things were perfect but we are blessed. We have our great days or moments and then we tough days or moments. We PUSH through it which means we are doing alot of PRAYING!! Some days are just plain HARD....emotions coming from at least one person in the house on any given day...including myself. Tears, sadness, HURT, and much more are expressed but as a family we do our best to walk through it.

The girls are very excited to have their brother home! They were very welcoming from Day 1 (minus Destiny at the airport) and enjoyed getting him adjusted to life as a Petway and in the US! We have to work mostly on each child's role as a child...some think they are the momma to our newest member. We also try to balance having two of the compete to be the baby of the home...fighting over Daddy's lap or sitting right next to Momma is now REAL here at the Petway home. I started this thread last week and as I'm adding and editing to it right now, a lot has changed; today is like they all are totally Meshing together and have been living together forever.

EJ has tried various new foods; some he dislike, some he likes and some he loves! But of course SHITO is still one of his favorite things. We take the food issue day by day...it's either a HIT or MISS!! He LOVES his bike and wants to ride every day all day!! He enjoys his new school and is very eager to learn how to read. He actually has a very similar uniform at his new school in comparison to what he wore in Ghana.

We feel blessed...we feel honored that we have been chosen to raise him and help him heal from his hurts and lost. We are blessed to have him here in our family to teach us many things from his culture and way of life. The love that flows from him to us is amazing!! Affection is literally thrown at us...lol....no holding back there.  The level of comfortability he has with us is sometimes shocking but we are grateful that he feels open to share himself with us. Some of it is very painful to hear and makes me sick to my stomach. When the sharing is good, I truly enjoy the look on his face!

EJ: "Mommy I don't like that"...."Emmanuel please taste things before you say you don't like it." Two seconds later..."Mommy can I have more, this taste very good"....LOL!!!

Best friends....well at least at them moment...lol

Really their relationship is blossoming into something awesome....to God be the Glory!!

Of course...stunt time for the pic....let's pick up Triniti

One month and 4 days home with his forever family!

Mommy and Daddy's boy......love his beautiful smile!!

Petway Family better known as the PRAISE FAMILY!!! All Glory goes to GOD!!!

Emmanuel showing his sisters how to do it and to not be scared....

Book signed by the author and a quick picture with her! 

Daddy's boy!!

Waiting

Worth Bank by  Katie Ganshert

"Every day you wait deposits more in the "worth bank" of your child. In our world of Fast, only the best treasures are waited for, and even then, not for long. But every day you wait is a statement your child can treasure as s/he grows up. A number s/he can hold on to, to know how very much s/he was cherished before s/he even arrived. This is a huge weapon against the feelings of rejection and being unwanted that many adopted kids face (even after their adoption). Other than parents who battle infertility before conceiving, only adoptive parents have this "we loved you so much we WAITED for you" gift to give their kids. So these days aren't wasted. You're making deposits every single day! You're building her a great gift. Hang in there!!"

HE'S ABLE...Mountain Moving God: I600 APPROVAL!!!!!

Finally....we got our I600 approval in the mail....it came in the natural realm as we and many dear people to us have been declaring and believing it was already done in the spiritual realm. As some of you may already know, we submitted our I600 in mid-May. We sent in our application around the same time as some of other adoptive families. There were approved and sent along....we all had different officers. We didn't get an immediate approval and were asked for more supporting evidence. Boy has these pass few weeks and this open application resulted in a time of a great FAITH and FULLY trusting God. This was truly a time of heart surgery for me...many days and night, all I could do was cry out to ABBA...."show me your face," "God you brought us to this so you will bring us through this," "Move this mountain for us oh God" and many more conversations with our Lord. Really thanking God for various people who came up beside me and watered me with the Word and Love of God.

So what does this I600 approval mean.....The US now sees our EJ a previous orphan (because he no longer is because we are his daddy and mommy) as an Immediate Relative.....simple terms....The US now sees him as our SON as he is seen in Ghana!! PRAISE THE LORD!! All Glory truly belongs to God....He did this...nobody but him!!

So what's next....we still need your prayers, encouragement and support!! In about another week or so our approval will reach Ghana and then we can begin the visa process. We are also awaiting his Ghanaian passport, please remember that in prayer also. So once our approval gets to Ghana, we can request our visa packet pickup which includes the medical paperwork to. Once the passport is in hand, then the medical items can be done and we can have our visa interview. The visa interview is the last step and right now is the BIGGEST hurdle.....but we have found out that our GOD is bigger!! If all goes well, we will be bringing our son home before the end of summer (I'm talking like before the kids have to go back to school)! We really feel this visa issues needs a lot of prayer and warfare!!! We are asking for your help in this area!!

Emmanuel just celebrated his birthday last Tuesday...well he probably didn't because they really do that the way we do here in America. However, it was a day of celebration for us and we celebrate his life and him being a part of our family! We are excited to celebrate it with him next year!!! Here is a video we made for him and the package we mailed off for him!!

Daddy had the pleasure to pick out his gifts for this year....

June.....

Can you do us a favor....Will you pray? Will you pray for our case along with others going through the adoption process every time the thought runs accross your mind? Please pray specifically this week as the Spirit gives utterance!!


June......the month I have been counting down for some well needed mommy and children time!!

• The girls and I have 2 more weeks left in school before summer break.
• Girls have their end of the year ballet recital.
• Signs and Wonders Camp for the 2 older girls....Destiny and I will cuddle
• Tyvon will be transfering to another office still in Quantico this month; we are very excited about this promotion. On the flipside he will not take any time off until we go back to Ghana.
• Today is June 3 and in 22 today's Emmanuel will turn another year older!! We know that God knows the desires of our heart.
• Believing God that we will get to spend most of our summer vacation bonding with our precious new son and brother!

On a side note...we got to talk to EJ twice this weekend. We got a surprise called on Friday morning and then he was able to call us for our Sunday morning time. Believing God that we will have some awesome news for you all by the end of the week!!

Psalms 25:3 No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.
Romans 10:11  The Scripture says, No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed.

Another Day Closer

Each day that passes brings us closer to uniting with EJ. We received notification that our I600 was forwarded to our individual officer! God has worked many miracles in our adoption thus far. We recognize it each time and give all the GLORY to HIM!! We are asking for 3 more miracles so we can bring our son home some time during this summer before the next school year starts. Yes I know that GOD would truly have to MOVE to make this happen. Why do I think that this can happen for me and so many others I'm praying for right now? Because our GOD is Almighty, Ever Present, ALL POWER and the one who makes the impossible, POSSIBLE!! There is much more that I can say about our ABBA!! I know that He loves me and He loves the orphans and fatherless so therefore I can go BOLDLY to His throne and ask for these things confidently knowing He will give it to his daughter (and sons/daughters that I'm praying for)!!

What are the 3 miracles?

• Smooth and quick I600 approval
• Quick and correct passport processing
• 1st time Visa interview approval

So while we wait, we will wait in His PRESENCE. Because in His presence is the fullness of joy and where miracles are birthed!!!


Here are some new pics that we received from EJ's orphanage director:

Doing a presentation for school.

 



 

Fresh hair cut and his very hot blazer with his uniform shorts...lol!!

 



Could it be that they will "dress" alike often!!

Long stretch towards the finish line.....

Adoption update!!!! We filed our I-600 this week!! God truly perform a miracle because we were told the last thing we needed to file the immigration paperwork wouldn't come until the end of May!! BUT GOD!!!!! So we wait to receive our approval from our officer and then go on to the last step, the Visa Interview.

Where do we need your prayers?

Four (4) Key Areas:

1. Smooth I-600 process and approval
2. EJ's passport arrives by the time we do his Visa Medical Appointment
3. Smooth and Approval Visa Interview with a printed Visa the same week.
4. Finances (We need to raise/save $3500 for the pick up trip).

We solicited your prayers!!

One way we can reduced the money that we need is to sell the remaining 41 T-shirts that we have! Please consider purchasing one and/or forward to family and friends who would be interested. You can pay by sending money to our paypal account @js.petway@hotmail.com. The cost of the shirts are $20 plus $5 shipping. If you purchase more than one, your shipping is still $5!

Here's a breakdown of the sizes and colors we have left:

Yellow: S (2), M (5), L (3), XL (3)

Red: S (3); M (5), L (1), XL (1)

Green: S (1), M (1), L (4), XL (3)

Black: S (3), M (1), L (2), XL (3) 

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers....birth mothers, 1st mothers, adoptive mothers!!!

This morning my 3 birth children are up having church before we head out to church. This is the best present ever. Out of the mouth of babes come perfected praise!! So humbled and broken by the praises coming out of their mouths!!!

Thanking God for giving me the chance to mother 3 precious girls who are hungry for him and a wonderful Ghanaian boy!  

Thinking about our 4th child, our son Emmanuel!! Wondering if he is doing the same thing as the girls right now as he loves to sing also. Thinking about his first family in Ghana. Thankful for the foster mommies, "aunties," that take care of all the kiddos that wait for their forever families to come take them home!!

Amani, Triniti, Emmanuel and Destiny mommy prays for you everyday! I pray that all my children grow up to be lovers of God! That you live a life full of all that God has called you to! I pray that everything that we teach, instill and model for you will birth adults who do Kingdom work all for the glory of God.

Picture of God's Love: Introducing Emmanuel Joshua

I was having a conversation with a very close friend of mine. We were discussing how after seeing one picture of a child or children who are orphans, we can't get them off our minds. It's as if the thought of them have taken our entire mind captive. We instantly include them in our family life and discuss how life will be like when they are with us. Listen to me...I'm not talking about after we have met the child but when all we have seen was a PICTURE. Then my friend mentioned the what ifs....like what if we don't connect, what if they think we are boring, etc etc. My response was "in the Bible did God have all these WHAT IF's when He sent His SON to die for us so that we could become SONS of God.....adopted into Him........!!!!" Then she came back and said....."Noooooooooooooooo there were no what ifs.  And even then he took a chance.  He took a chance on us." After that I was floored....trying not to burst into tears.......

1st picture we saw of our son named drumroll.......Emmanuel.

We are pretty much sure that we will name him Emmanuel Joshua.

For our family, it isn't about a rescue mentality but about a mandate that God placed in our heart. Not only will we pour into and give to him but he will change and has change our lives in ways we could have never imagine! As we teach him many things, we are confident that we will learn in leaps and bounds from him!!

Picture of EJ in his 1st outfit from us picked out by his sissy Triniti!!

Why Should Christians Adopt? The Old Testament contains more than 40 scriptures that show God's concern and compassion for orphans. God's people then and God's people now must care for this disenfranchised and neglected segment of society. Adoption is the most loving and permanent way to care for these little ones. Psalm 68:5-6a says about God, "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families..." (Taken from http://www.cafadopt.org/adopt_why.html).

Here are a few websites that I enjoyed reading:

• 5 Reasons Christians Should Adopt
• Is Adoption Really a Christian Duty
• Together for Adoption

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. John 1:12-13

Additional pics....

Quick update......we are still awaiting 2 pieces of official papers before we can file our I-600. Never would have thought someone could desire 2 pieces of paper so much. However once we get those, we will be one step closer to bring our son home!!! Please continue to pray for our process and our hearts (including EJ).

As promised here is the rest of the pictures from the photoshoot........(The photographer did a good job of capturing us being us....LOL!!!)

 Yeah....I know...we all were supposed to be jumping at the same time. But look at Miss Amani....always camera ready. She has the most perfect jump pose.

Training them early to have a heart for world missions.

Doing God's work in the US and across the globe. 

Anyone who knows us knows that we love Praise and Worship...EJ will fit right in because we have an African drum waiting for him along with a few others we have picked up along the way!!

Left a spot for our little man who is growing in our heart!!

Wanting to be under one roof!!

Who said "absence makes the heart grow fonder"......Man does that ring true when it comes to adoption. This statement basically means the lack of something increases the desire for it. It has been 2 months since we met our precious boy EJ and a little under 2 months that we hugged him and told him we will see him later. That was one of the hardest things I ever had to do....I think I looked back about 100 times and yes I did run back to hug him again and assure him that we loved him and would come back for him.

Now back to my opening statement..."absence makes the heart grow fonder"......the lack of something increases the desire for it. The lack of not having EJ here with us increases our desire and want to have him HOME, here in th US, with us. As a family we talk about things we will do with him. We bought a trampoline for the kids recently and the girls frequently discuss how it will be when the EJ is here to jump with them. Tyvon and I talked one night about hair cuts....we don't think he will want to wear the shaved look like his daddy...LOL!! We have begun decorating his room compliments of my dear sister/friend Crystal. So excited to see his face when he sees his OWN room. While we know their will be a transition period and many hard times down the road, our desire grows stronger to be with him and experience many FIRSTS.

To pass the waiting time and be creative with our introduction of EJ to family and friends near and far, we decided to take EXPECTING ADOPTION pictures. A Christian friend of ours was very honored and exciting to take these type of pictures. I believe this was her first of many for this type of photoshoot. Thank you Tanya at A Timeless Touch for the awesome pictures and great family time!!

 Many of the pictures, our JOY decided to not

live up to her name Destiny Joy.

 Yes I'm ready to be a soccer mom and Ty is ready to start coaching!!

Look Destiny Joy is smiling. And of course my other 2 are always ready for the camera!

  Just missing EJ's feet.....

 No, we don't think we are pregnant with the world or even Africa. But we know that God called us to adopt and the nations. This picture is being displayed in a Women's Clinic in a city near where we live.

BTW...I (Jamallia) now serve as the Co-Administrator and Mission Team Leader for FTO: Feeding the Oprhans

Although you are miles away and an ocean apart you are still growing in our heart!!

Distance makes the heart grow fonder!!

Have a few more pictures to share and will upload as soon as we get them....

On my Heart

Today we celebrate my birthday....my wonderful husband has asked me time and time again what I want. My deepest desires are 2 things...to have my boy home with us and walk out the calling of serving on short term mission assignments. Last year I was able to celebrate my birthday serving on the mission field with the ARMS team in the PI.

Even though I'm not getting neither of these today, I know that they are happening this year. I'm bursting with so much emotions and at some moments I want to cry, others dance with joy and then at times lay out straight before the Lord. The update about our adoption process is that we are still waiting to file the I-600; please continue to pray we get those documents in soon. The other desire will be coming out officially in the next week or so but I have been given one of the greatest opportunity with a wonderful organization and I'm very humbled!

So I just wanted to share these lyrics with you and youtube video because its been in my head from the moment I woke so I know God is saying something to me.

Send Me I'll Go by William McDowell
Send me I'll go,
I'll go to the nations,
So the whole world will know,
Your love and compassion,
The harvest is ready,
Your people are hungry,
To know you,
Give me a heart to hear the cry,
Help me to see things through your eyes,
That we can bring healing to the broken,
When we speak the words that you have spoken,

How will they hear unless we speak,
You are the only one we need,
How will they know until we go,

Here's the video...I hope it ministers to you....

Rock Bottom

Today there is a heaviness in the air. So what do we do.....WE FIGHT not physically but in the spiritual realm!!!

As I began to pray this morning...I was reminded of this verse....

"For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere." Ephesians 6:12-18

And then someone reminded me of this.... "Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise." Heb 10:23

Armed and Ready for battle....in the end GOD WINS!!!!

The Nothing New Update

Here's our update....we are in the waiting process! We are waiting for all our court and supporting documents so that we can file our I600 which is the next step in our adoption (so last time I check...we are now 3 centimeters dilated...lol yes we went back an inch)! There hasn't been a setback in our process it’s just that we can't move forward without the documents. Hmmmm....learning how to be at peace while we wait :)! The I600 is a very significant step as it will give EJ immediate relative and US citizen status! Once our I600 comes back approved, we move to the next step.

So how are we doing....pretty well but next week maybe another story! We really miss our son and always hope for the opportunity to hear from him with a phone call! Today for me, I can really feel a huge chunk of my heart missing. I try not to think about the distance or him not being here with us to help deal with the hurLast night we prepared a care package for EJ that included a Hallmark's "Until we Hug Again" bear which allows you to record your voice. Every time he hugs the bear or gives it a squeeze, he will be able to listen to the message we all recorded for him. We also sent him some pictures of the 3 of us while Tyvon and I were in Ghana and an outfit picked out by “Daddy!” Tyvon has already told me that HE will be picking out the majority of EJ’s clothes; fine by me (buying clothes for 3 girls is enough for me..lol)!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers along with the many other families travelling this journey of adoption with us.

Kuddos to Hallmark.... this is such a great idea! Nice outfit for him to play futbol (soccer) in!!

Little notes from all of us to our sweet son/brother!!

DRUMROLL....

It is official....legal....whatever the politically correct word is!! We are happy to announce that we are the PROUD family of 3 girls and 1 BOY!! We passed court today in Ghana making us a family of 6. He is a Petway!! I'm like 95% sure his initials will be EJP!!

Look how God works.....
Its amazing how he looks like he could be my biological child and he has alot of Tyvon's giftings. A month ago on Feb 28 we got on a plane to go meet him and today March 28, he became our son in the eyes of the court system!! Another..wow moment.....Our son's name (EN) is the exact same first and last name as one of my current students who is from Ghana but moved here to America with his family since he was around 3.

When I received the messages, I burst in tears while trying to contact Ty and tell him the good news!! Its like when you go into labor and call your spouse to tell them that you are labor. Then you get to the hospital and the doctor confirms that you are in ACTIVE LABOR. So I would say we are in active labor...don't ask how many centimeters we are but I would guess around 4 and since this is an adoption...we have 6 centimeters to go until we BIRTH (bring him home) him. As we all know...it could go swiftly or it could go very slow; but trusting that GOD is in CONTROL!!

I have so many emotions stirring up in me but one thing I know is that God really has showed and will continue to show his RESURRECTION POWER!!!

Are you ready to get dirty....

Caution....this may get to real for many of you!!!

Adoption is messy! Adoption brings out the real in you and others surrounding you. When we decided to pursue international adoption, we knew that it would have its challenges. But can I be real...some days are harder than others. Some days I want to throw in the towel out of fear and all the many unknowns. About 2 weeks ago, a situation presented itself in the IA world and its still lurking but we trust our God is in control. When we first learn of it, I related it to an incident we encountered a few years back. When we were pregnant with our last baby girl, I had some complications and was told that I would miscarry the baby. That was IT....no consoling me, emotions nothing and walk out the room. I got dress walked back to the waiting room where my BFF Heather was waiting for me (Tyvon was away for training at the time) and looked at her a bust out in tears. When I got home, and was sitting to myself, I cried out to God. I laid hands on my belly and declared that our child would live and not die and declare the works of the Lord. Our baby girl is alive and well and will be turning 4 this year. However 2 weeks ago, I felt like we were miscarrying our paper pregnancy (adoption) and couldn't find the strengthen to muster up the FAITH that I had almost 4 years ago. But Praise be to GOD...for my great prayer group who encouraged my spirit!! This is truly an emotional journey and faith walk.

In this process you have to soley rely on what you know God has spoken to you. Not at any moment, can you take your eyes off of God. There are many moments and situations that evolves doing this process that you have no choice but to look unto HIM in EXPECTATION. During this process, God allows you to see alot about yourself. You are able to see weaknesses you didn't know you had or that you thought you had overcome. Also you are able to see how strong you are in God. Prayer is vital during this time and knowing how to respond: BE STILL or MOVE with the STRATEGY God spoke to you during prayer. And yes being paper pregnant is filled with the same feelings, emotions, symptoms as someone who is physically pregnant.

One thing for sure...God never said it would be easy. He didn't say we wouldn't get dirty. But we can rest in the fact that He said that he would never Leave Us or Forsake Us!!


Below are 2 of the Promises of God that I keep close and dear to me during this process.....

Hab 2:3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late (It will come right on time).

Ps. 25:3 No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame

The Motherland

I began writing this post on 3/18/2013...

Say it with me......I went to Africa......I went to AFRICA. My husband and I had the wonderful opportunity through our international adoption to be able to go back to the place that our forefathers came from. Our trip to Ghana was much more than just to meet our son. It had so much other meaning behind it! Going to any country in Africa has always been one of the things on my dream places to go. We have had the opportunity to live in  Okinawa, Japan and visit Iwakuni, Yokota, Cambodia, the Philipines and many Caribbean islands since we have been married. Some of those experiences prepared me for 3rd world countries so I was prepared for the most part of what I would see.

Many people have asked me if I was Jamaican and while preparing for the trip to Ghana, it was a running joke that many would think I was African. And yes...the minute I stepped off the plane at the airport, people tried to speak to me in Twi or another dialect in which I had to tell them that I'm American an only spoke English. When describing my nationality, I would say "Black" American because if I said African American, the people there thought I was an African living in America. My husband on the other hand....they called him "half-cast" and said that to them one of his parents would be white and the other African. Besides white people, he was the lightest person I saw while there. In America we are used to the many array of shades people are but not in Africa.

Adoption----We are the 1st Black American people that have adopted from our agency and POA. Also many of the people we encountered, never met a Black American who adopted internationally. I know of one who is Black American and her husband is Ghanaian and was so happy that we connect. They are also a military family!!!! We all were anxious to see how things work doing our adoption....ie when we were out with our son, no one gave us a second look (glance) because he could just pass for our family. There was not immediate concern or alert that we were child trafficking.  NOW the big question.....why don't Black Americans adopt internationally. While Black Americans do adopt domestically the numbers are lower than that of our white american counterparts. There may be Black Americans who adopt internationally but the numbers are very few. I myself believe that it may be a cultural thing, lack of knowledge and awareness. In most (I'm not saying all) predominately black churches missions and orphans are discussed at all or not on the level that it is discussed, encouraged and support in predominately white churches or true multicultural churches.  Please feel free to add your comments; again this is just my thought. I'm praying that this changes and that all people of God get to know all aspects of the Father's heart that He has revealed to us in scriptures.

Boy.... were we welcome by our African brothers and sisters. They made us feel welcomed and right at home. We had the honor to be in company with many brothers and sisters making an impact for Christ in their land and neighborhoods in Ghana. Met some great people and one awesome family in particular, Auntie Comfort and her family. We hug, shed tears, laugh, prayed and blessed each other. A lifetime bond was created in a matter of spending a few hours together. We got to attend church in Africa...and I was overwhelmed with so many emotions while just sitting there and enjoying the service. I don't even know how to explain it but it was like....I WAS SUPPOSE TO BE THERE. We had the opportunity to tour the facility and spend a little time with the pastor and his family! We also were able to visit some other orphanages and when we returned home, we receive a message that the kids were happy to see us, who look liked them, coming to Ghana to adopt!! Whew....that helped calm my nerves and some unspoken fears...lol!! And then our taxi driver....no he is more than that...our brother. Patrick was God sent...he took us everywhere and spent a day and a half with us meaning he didn't work those days his normal routes. We did all that we could to bless him monetarily and to let him know we truly appreciated him. Him and his wife are expecting their first child....a baby girl; he contacted us recently to tell us he bought some beautiful dress with the money we left for him to buy her a gift.

So many more stories I may think about and will post as they come to me....

We finally met face to face

I think I'm at a place where I can talk.......Our trip was amazing. I have no doubt that God is in every detail of this adoption. He could not have matched us with anyone no better than what he did.

The Sunday before we left, our church sent us out with prayers and declarations......

Thursday/Friday - I started the day by going to work a half day since we were flying our late that evening; what in the world was I thinking. Once I got home, I made a video of the house to show our boy once we got to Accra. Tyvon and I went to see the girls at school and gave them lots of love and hugs. Some wonderful family friends took us to the airport and it was a blessed time. Our flight to Amsterdam went smoothly. We had a 6 hour layover and met another adoptive mommy going to Ghana without her hubby. We took this opportunity to roam the city. My relationship with the Ghana adoptive mommy is truly ordained by the Spirit of God. Finally it was time to board the plane to Accra and the nerves started to come; I was just full of emotions. When we landed in Accra, it was Friday evening so we wouldn't meet our son until Saturday.

Saturday - I tossed and turned all night long. So much going through my mind while my hubby was sound asleep beside me. I think I woke up around 6am...LOL!! We got up, rearranged the donations bag, called our POA and went downstairs to eat breakfast. I walked outside to assess the weather and it was HOT!!!! We loaded the car and was on our way to another region about 2 to 3 hours away. We were in AFRICA......REALLY (that will have to be another blog post)!! We talked with our POA and learn much about Ghana, adoptions, etc. He is excited along with our agency to have Black Americans adopting internationally; we are the 1st for both of them. Its uncommon for African (Black) Americans to adopt internationally but again that will be another blog. So after our long but very interesting and entertaining drive we were there. Got out the car...butterflies in my stomach. I look at the tin gate as children came out but it wasn't our son each time. I turned to the car to help unload bags and then he walked up behind me and smile, gave me a hug and said Hello Mommy. As I type this blog, my heart is filled with joy and pain (missing him), I can still hear his small little voice. Tyvon looked so happy. Along with the POA and the Auntie (foster mom), we passed out donations. Those children were so grateful for what they receive even though the items weren't always a perfect size match they held them up with honor; humbling moment. The package we sent him a few weeks ahead of us didn't make it into his hands until that day, so we got to see his emotions and expressions.....PRICELESS. After spending about an hour at the foster home, we took our son with us to check into our hotel  for some bonding time. In the car he was so happy and sat very close to me in the back seat. At one point he looked up at me and said "Mommy can I have some water please," and I gladly gave him my bottle of water. Once in our hotel room, we spent the first part of our time letting him look at all the gifts we brought with us on this trip. He loved loved loved the Etch-a-Sketch!! Then we watch the videos that we made; one from the girls and one touring his new home. The look on his face as he watched each video brought so much joy to our hearts. He kept replaying and smiling at the part where we showed him his room; heart flutters. He speaks enough English to communicate basic things to us and we began to teach him new words while we were together. Even though he is 5 years, we will still have the opportunity to share in many of his "FIRST" experience; things like 1st bath, 1st time riding a bike, teaching him how to use a bathroom and the appropriate words to say when communicating different things. As many of you know, Tyvon loves tapping on EVERYTHING and plays percussion....and what would you know....our adorable son start tapping out of nowhere as we were sitting around relaxing together. After the 1st day, Tyvon said that he acts a lot like our oldest daughter. During our 1st day we also taught him how to play Matching, take pictures on our cameras and talk on a cell phone. He was able to talk to his sisters and Nana, my mom.

Sunday---I barely slept again. We woke up and prepared for our day. We decided to go to church with the kiddos then an afternoon of sightseeing. It was another wonderful day with our boy. We also found out that he likes to sing and loves music; how could this be that he is so much like us but not our biological child.....OUR GOD knows how to match us. This brings me to one of our adoption verses in John 1:12-13. Even though he was born of us, he is so much like us because he is our son through GOD!! "But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God." Oh how this verse speaks to my heart in so many ways. Through this adoption process many sisters and brothers have been birth to us through our great God. At the Botanical Gardens, he walked with Tyvon most of the time....it was a beautiful site to see them walk hand and hand. Again today we got to experience many 1st for him!!!

Monday---bittersweet day as we would be travelling back to Accra to spend our last night in Ghana there. We packed our bags and checked out of the hotel to head to spend the morning with the kiddos at their school. It was a great morning but our son was sad because he knew we would leave today. We were able to teach some of the classes; mostly Tyvon because I kept hopping from class to class. We brought Honey Nut Cheerios for all the kids and it was a BIG hit for all of them!!! We tried to get as much one on one time with our son  as possible especially when we saw his mood changing. It was hard trying to balance keeping them as much on the school schedule as possible with spending time with him and also giving attention to all the kiddos but it was an experience I'm glad we were able to encounter. Then the time came and it was time to leave.....................................................Tears. Auntie Abigail explain to him in Twi that we were leaving to head back to America. We wanted to make sure he really understood everything we were saying in English. Oh how it hurt my heart so to say goodbye. As we were leaving, she yelled out...he's starting to cry. I immediately turn back to hug him one more time, to tell him we love him, that we would miss him and that we would come back to him. Then I walked away without looking back...I knew that I couldn't look back because if I did then I wouldn't be able to leave him or the rest of those kids because they all looked sad.

Throughout the whole trip Abigail would tell us how he responded when he got back to the home each night. He was just as excited as we were. She said on Friday night he kept waking up asking were we there yet...LOL!! Saturday morning I believe he started waking up around 4 and then every 30 minutes. Saturday night/Sunday morning he kept questioning her to ensure that we hadn't left yet and we were coming to get him from the hotel. He also began to ask when we were leaving for the states which resulting in him crying. Every night/morning he was so excited. She said he was the 1st one ready for school on Monday and the driver was teasing him because he is usually the one they are waiting on. Not that day though because he knew they were coming to pick us up.

Monday night back in Accra we spent the evening with a wonderful young Christian driver named Patrick. He is a great man; he and his wife are expecting their 1st child soon. On Tuesday, he spent his whole work day being our taxi.....humbling and honored. We got to spend the day visiting other orphanages, Auntie Comfort who runs the Fern House and eating Ghanian Pizza. Oh and I can't forget the MANGO I got for about $0.50 USD; my mouth still waters thinking about it.

I'm attaching a few pictures.....

My sweet sweet Mango thanks to Auntie Comfort and Lucy

Aunt Comfort and Precious

Some of the kiddos listening to Tyvon teach a lesson

Tyvon with one of the boys at GMI looking at pictures

Travel Update

We are back...the trip was wonderful! I'm an emotional wreck right now as reality has captured me when I woke up this more. Thank God for my wonderful husband who is my rock. I know many of you would like to hear about our trip but right now I can't go into details because I just get really sad. I promise after I have had some time and have process things, I will give an update.

Here's something short...We met our son and he is so much like us in many ways, its unbelievable. Not only did we meet our son, we went to AFRICA...they place where our forefathers came from. We were greeted with love by many and especially this one family....Auntie Comfort, a wonderful lady in Africa doing the work of the Lord rush over to me and my hubby and just held me and wouldn't let me go......Hope this short bit explains why I just need time to process...

God's commission

God's commission....Time and time again, we are instructed to pattern ourselves after Christ. In Genesis we are told that we are made in the image of God. What does that mean in relations to how we live our life? In I Corinthians were are told to be imitators of Christ.....IMITATORS.....to act like, pattern oneself like CHRIST. Below you will find two of the scriptures that really speak to us when it comes to adoption. We have caught ahold of the spirit of adoption. Not only are we forever grateful that God grafted us into His family, we count it a privilege to do the same when we take care of the orphans, a group of people dear to God's heart. Not at any moment to we see ourselves on the level of God, we are just DOING Christ...making His name, love, being know here in earth. It's time out for everything else: the pettiness of our human flaw....its time to take care of KINGDOM business!

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. John 1:12-13. God is giving us a son in His way. For His plans and ways are not our own. We are just vessels yielding ourselves and being sensitive to His steering so that we follow in the paths that He directs us.

No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. John 14:18